The diversity of the Chinese works of art in the Tang dynasty embodies the cosmopolitanism of the period, and there no better reflection of this than in the development of precious metalworking. The use of silver was highly unusual in vessels or functional objects before the 5th century – only rarely hammered in fragments as inlay on bronzes during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Significant advances were made when metalwork techniques were introduced into China in the 5th and 6th centuries from Central and Western Asia, as well as the Mediterranean through well-established mercantile contact and cultural exchange. As a result, China developed a taste for silver, synthesizing the abundant foreign styles and techniques, evolving to a high level of refinement and ultimately reaching its peak in the Tang dynasty. This sense of luxury is reflected in the creation of not only silver vessels, but also jewellery and personal objects of adornment. The following lots showcase the finest examples of silver metalwork of the period. Many of the silver vessels would become the progenitors of later imperial ware, with designs or shapes reinterpreted then transformed in the ceramics of the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties.
唐代藝術材質、風格多樣，精彩紛呈，盡展大唐薈萃多國文化之獨有魅力，其中又以珍貴金屬器最能表現此特點。五世紀前，銀器及以銀作飾之工藝器皿均非常鮮見，僅見於商周時期，青銅器身偶爾鑲嵌零碎銀料。時至五及六世紀，中國與中亞、西亞以及地中海通商頻繁，文化交流亦多，金屬加工技術隨之傳入中土。因此，唐代喜愛銀器，並綜合外邦風格與技巧，所成銀器精緻華美，成就非凡，無論器皿、工藝或配飾均顯貴重奢華，其中多款啓發後來各朝宮廷御器，宋、明、清各朝珍瓷紋飾及器型都可見其影響。以下拍品，均屬唐代精美作例：
